{Reading the most challenging, convicting, and inspiring book right now: Rees Howells, Intercessor by Norman Grubb. This man Howells, in the 1800s, gave his life to the Lord in service, and Grubb recounts the process of surrender and sanctification that marked his days; it is truly humbling and inspiring all at once. All His money and possessions were considered God’s, used for the common good. This one paragraph gripped me yesterday …}
“…All his (Howell’s) money had actually been spent in the Lord’s work. But it was still his money and he had the joy of giving it, and the right to give or withhold. ‘In the future, as a steward,” the Lord said, “you will not have the right even to give without My permission. And not a penny of My money will be spent except on essentials.” Explaining what He meant by this, the Lord asked him, “If you had a family of children who were without food or clothing, would you spend a penny on a daily paper, or on any non-essential?” “No.” “Well, the world is My parish, and while there is one person needing the necessities of life you will not spend a penny on anything else.”
After Howells obeyed God and surrendered all that he had to Him, he heard:
“Tonight I have grafted you into the Vine, and all the sap can flow through you. You are a branch in the Savior. The branch gets nothing — it is the needy that get the fruit. But after tonight, from this place of abiding, whatever the Father wants to pour out to the world through you, He can do so. ‘In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.”
What if God knew that whatever He wanted to give the world through you, He could do? What if He knew that He could call on you to do and give whatever He desired? How crazy would that be? What if we saw the world as His parish? His family? If we saw the needs of those around us with the same keen sensitivity as the needs or our own dear babes?
We have all heard stories of these amazing saints, men and women who God was able to use in order to literally change the course of history and bring multitudes to Himself. What if He wanted to use YOU to do that? Or me? Would He be able to?
Can the sap flow through?
Wrestling through this today, with you. There is much to wrestle through in this book. No easy answers, no easy surrender, no easy death. Praying today that God is gracious and puts His finger on whatever He’s wanting to do in your life. Thanks so much for wrestling … and reading.